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24/4/11 10:28![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
telarynTitle: Witness
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
telaryn
Word Count: 985
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Hardison, Faith
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Discussion of extreme violence committed by Faith in an earlier story.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Faith tries to mend fences with Hardison in the aftermath of The End of Days Job, only to find that his fear isn't as baseless as she'd hoped.
Author's Note: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
angst_bingo, for the prompt "fear". This story is set in The Ties That Bind Job 'Verse, in the aftermath of The End of Days Job. For those not familiar with the 'verse, the basic premise is that Faith the Vampire Slayer is Nathan Ford's biological daughter, fathered when he was a teenager. The relationship is a recent discovery for both of them.
He’d liked the idea of having a bona fide super hero on the team. And hell – even a blind man could see that having Faith in his life was having a positive effect on Nate.
Then Wolfram & Hart had happened. Vampires, threats and kidnapping – sleepless nights and days of unending terror. Nate had been mind-raped, Parker had been trapped at ground zero of a bloodbath, and Eliot had nearly been lost to them forever for reasons they were only just now beginning to understand. Hardison had done his best to keep them safe as always, being their extra eyes and ears, but he’d spent too many hours helplessly watching as his family endured unspeakable horror.
And when the dust had settled, Hardison was left with feelings about their bona fide superhero that he couldn’t act on, couldn’t suppress and couldn’t reconcile. Faith was a killer. They’d known it since day one, but because Nate wanted her in his life, no one was willing to really face what that meant. The bloodbath Parker had been trapped in had largely been caused by Faith. He’d seen the carnage – bodies taken apart with her bare hands, chests caved in with a single punch, necks broken – everything she was capable of after her supposed rehabilitation had taken place.
Nate had seen it too, but he was blinded by his love for his only living child. “It doesn’t matter,” he’d insisted. “They were unique circumstances. She wouldn’t hurt any of us.”
It was cold comfort. Hardison had begun avoiding Faith wherever possible, except when the Slayer was forced by either chance or necessity to interact with Parker. “You need to be careful,” he’d warned the thief. “It’s not safe to be around her.”
Parker had been on Nate’s side. “You weren’t there,” she repeatedly reminded him. “Lindsey didn’t leave her any choice. She had to make him regret what he’d done.”
He’d tried to protest that it was a weak argument. There was no reason that many people had to die so Faith could make a point. And if it was so cut and dried, how come Parker was suffering from nightmares as well? From what he could tell they weren’t nearly as frequent or as violent as the dreams plaguing Nate, Faith and Eliot, but at least once a week she woke up shaking and crying in his arms.
“Can we talk?”
Hardison looked up sharply to see Faith sliding into the booth opposite him. Fighting back a surge of panic, he looked around the bar. McRory’s was moderately full tonight, but there weren’t enough people around to make him feel perfectly comfortable being this close to the Slayer.
“I’ve…gotta go,” he stammered, starting to shut his laptop. “Nate’s expecting me upstairs…”
“Alec.”
He froze. Faith was sitting passively; there was deep sadness in her dark eyes. “Nate’s not expecting you. Please. It’s a public space – can’t you give me a few minutes?”
Hardison continued shutting down his laptop, but he forced himself to relax back into his seat. “Yeah, okay – I guess we should probably talk this out.”
They were silent for a few moments, looking at each other. Finally Faith said, “You’re afraid of me. And it’s not hard to figure out why.”
“Parker told you,” Hardison challenged.
Faith shook her head. “No, but like I said – it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together when you jump out of your skin every time I go near her.” She ducked her head for a second, then looked at him again. “What do you need to hear to make things okay between us?”
“What?” Hardison asked, certain he’d heard her wrong.
“Talk to me.” Faith spread her hands. “Ask me anything – anything you need to know that would help you feel better about all this.”
“Feel better about all this?” He laughed. “After everything you did? I understand Nate wanting to forget it, you being his kid and all. I don’t get why Parker’s willing to give you a pass.”
“Parker was there,” Faith protested. “You weren’t. She understands that I wouldn’t hurt her…I wouldn’t hurt any of you.”
Hardison snorted. “I’ve got an aching jaw that says otherwise.” In a fit of blind fury after Nate’s abduction, Faith had punched Hardison. The blow had knocked him on his ass – everyone who had witnessed it agreed that Hardison was lucky she hadn’t broken his jaw.
Once he’d seen the carnage in the basement of Wolfram & Hart, Hardison had agreed.
“Okay, that was fair,” Faith conceded. “And if I haven’t apologized for that, I am sorry it happened.”
He knew that, even though he suspected her regret was largely motivated by Eliot’s interference. “Faith, their safety is my responsibility. I know I don’t strategize like Nate and I don’t beat people up like you and Eliot, but I’m the eyes and ears. I watch all y’all’s backs. It’s my job.” He paused. “And sometimes when I see things I’m not used to being ignored as to how dangerous they are.”
Across from him, Faith had gone quiet – too quiet. “What?” he challenged finally.
She shrugged, leaning back in her seat. “I didn’t realize you’d seen everything yourself. I thought you were reacting to whatever Parker had told you.”
He licked his lips, suddenly nervous about how quickly Faith could decide to go over the table at him. “I saw,” he confirmed. “And even if I buy Lindsey’s boys being responsible for what happened to the girls, that still doesn’t excuse the number of men you took apart with your bare hands.”
Faith exhaled softly. “I’m sorry, Hardison.”
Hardison blinked. “You’re apologizing to me again? What does that even mean?”
Faith smiled bitterly. “You saw what I did. Saw it with your own eyes. It means that you have every right to be afraid of me, and I’m sorry I ever suggested that you didn’t.”
Author:
telarynWord Count: 985
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Hardison, Faith
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Discussion of extreme violence committed by Faith in an earlier story.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Faith tries to mend fences with Hardison in the aftermath of The End of Days Job, only to find that his fear isn't as baseless as she'd hoped.
Author's Note: Written for
angst_bingo, for the prompt "fear". This story is set in The Ties That Bind Job 'Verse, in the aftermath of The End of Days Job. For those not familiar with the 'verse, the basic premise is that Faith the Vampire Slayer is Nathan Ford's biological daughter, fathered when he was a teenager. The relationship is a recent discovery for both of them.He’d liked the idea of having a bona fide super hero on the team. And hell – even a blind man could see that having Faith in his life was having a positive effect on Nate.
Then Wolfram & Hart had happened. Vampires, threats and kidnapping – sleepless nights and days of unending terror. Nate had been mind-raped, Parker had been trapped at ground zero of a bloodbath, and Eliot had nearly been lost to them forever for reasons they were only just now beginning to understand. Hardison had done his best to keep them safe as always, being their extra eyes and ears, but he’d spent too many hours helplessly watching as his family endured unspeakable horror.
And when the dust had settled, Hardison was left with feelings about their bona fide superhero that he couldn’t act on, couldn’t suppress and couldn’t reconcile. Faith was a killer. They’d known it since day one, but because Nate wanted her in his life, no one was willing to really face what that meant. The bloodbath Parker had been trapped in had largely been caused by Faith. He’d seen the carnage – bodies taken apart with her bare hands, chests caved in with a single punch, necks broken – everything she was capable of after her supposed rehabilitation had taken place.
Nate had seen it too, but he was blinded by his love for his only living child. “It doesn’t matter,” he’d insisted. “They were unique circumstances. She wouldn’t hurt any of us.”
It was cold comfort. Hardison had begun avoiding Faith wherever possible, except when the Slayer was forced by either chance or necessity to interact with Parker. “You need to be careful,” he’d warned the thief. “It’s not safe to be around her.”
Parker had been on Nate’s side. “You weren’t there,” she repeatedly reminded him. “Lindsey didn’t leave her any choice. She had to make him regret what he’d done.”
He’d tried to protest that it was a weak argument. There was no reason that many people had to die so Faith could make a point. And if it was so cut and dried, how come Parker was suffering from nightmares as well? From what he could tell they weren’t nearly as frequent or as violent as the dreams plaguing Nate, Faith and Eliot, but at least once a week she woke up shaking and crying in his arms.
“Can we talk?”
Hardison looked up sharply to see Faith sliding into the booth opposite him. Fighting back a surge of panic, he looked around the bar. McRory’s was moderately full tonight, but there weren’t enough people around to make him feel perfectly comfortable being this close to the Slayer.
“I’ve…gotta go,” he stammered, starting to shut his laptop. “Nate’s expecting me upstairs…”
“Alec.”
He froze. Faith was sitting passively; there was deep sadness in her dark eyes. “Nate’s not expecting you. Please. It’s a public space – can’t you give me a few minutes?”
Hardison continued shutting down his laptop, but he forced himself to relax back into his seat. “Yeah, okay – I guess we should probably talk this out.”
They were silent for a few moments, looking at each other. Finally Faith said, “You’re afraid of me. And it’s not hard to figure out why.”
“Parker told you,” Hardison challenged.
Faith shook her head. “No, but like I said – it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together when you jump out of your skin every time I go near her.” She ducked her head for a second, then looked at him again. “What do you need to hear to make things okay between us?”
“What?” Hardison asked, certain he’d heard her wrong.
“Talk to me.” Faith spread her hands. “Ask me anything – anything you need to know that would help you feel better about all this.”
“Feel better about all this?” He laughed. “After everything you did? I understand Nate wanting to forget it, you being his kid and all. I don’t get why Parker’s willing to give you a pass.”
“Parker was there,” Faith protested. “You weren’t. She understands that I wouldn’t hurt her…I wouldn’t hurt any of you.”
Hardison snorted. “I’ve got an aching jaw that says otherwise.” In a fit of blind fury after Nate’s abduction, Faith had punched Hardison. The blow had knocked him on his ass – everyone who had witnessed it agreed that Hardison was lucky she hadn’t broken his jaw.
Once he’d seen the carnage in the basement of Wolfram & Hart, Hardison had agreed.
“Okay, that was fair,” Faith conceded. “And if I haven’t apologized for that, I am sorry it happened.”
He knew that, even though he suspected her regret was largely motivated by Eliot’s interference. “Faith, their safety is my responsibility. I know I don’t strategize like Nate and I don’t beat people up like you and Eliot, but I’m the eyes and ears. I watch all y’all’s backs. It’s my job.” He paused. “And sometimes when I see things I’m not used to being ignored as to how dangerous they are.”
Across from him, Faith had gone quiet – too quiet. “What?” he challenged finally.
She shrugged, leaning back in her seat. “I didn’t realize you’d seen everything yourself. I thought you were reacting to whatever Parker had told you.”
He licked his lips, suddenly nervous about how quickly Faith could decide to go over the table at him. “I saw,” he confirmed. “And even if I buy Lindsey’s boys being responsible for what happened to the girls, that still doesn’t excuse the number of men you took apart with your bare hands.”
Faith exhaled softly. “I’m sorry, Hardison.”
Hardison blinked. “You’re apologizing to me again? What does that even mean?”
Faith smiled bitterly. “You saw what I did. Saw it with your own eyes. It means that you have every right to be afraid of me, and I’m sorry I ever suggested that you didn’t.”
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